Countryside Productivity Small Grants Scheme application window to open soon

The government has committed £30 million for a further round of the popular Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme (CPSGS), which helps farmers buy the equipment they need to boost productivity and increase yields.

This will include equipment specific to cattle, sheep and pig farmers, as well as precision farming and resource management equipment for arable farmers.

The next application window is expected to open during March 2019.

The CPSGS is different to other parts of the Countryside Productivity scheme as it uses an online application process and is targeted at supporting investment for specific pieces of agricultural equipment. The grant is expected to cover 40% of eligible capital items with a minimum grant of £3,000 and maximum of £12,000. Capital items have predetermined item costs so there is no requirement to source 3 competitive quotes as has been the case in the past. This makes the application process very quick and straight forward; but may cause issues with sourcing certain popular items. For example, in 2018 there was a shortage of Cattle Livestock Handling Equipment as a result of the funding allocation. We are yet to know exactly which items will be grant funded, but assuming the scheme has the same criteria as last year, it is envisaged the funds will be for equipment which helps achieve improvements in:

– animal welfare,
– resource efficiency, or
– nutrient management.

We will circulate more information as soon as it becomes available, but in the meantime if you would like to talk about the forthcoming Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme, then please do get in touch.